Understanding Zoom Bots for Your Online Meetings

How many calls do you have in a day? In a LinkedIn poll of 2800 professionals, 37% of respondents say they’re in virtual meetings for two to four hours daily. That’s almost half of the entire workday!

If you’re like most remote professionals, you’re trying your best to be more productive during these meetings. You’ve probably heard about Zoom bots and how others have used them. But you’re not entirely sure how it works. Luckily, in this blog post, we’ll discuss:

• What are Zoom bots, and how do they work?
• If you need Zoom bots.
• The best Zoom bot alternative.

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What is a Zoom Bot?

A Zoom bot is a computer program that can join your Zoom meetings and perform tasks automatically. Think of it as a virtual assistant that can help manage your meetings without needing someone to control it.

These bots can display several things in your meetings:

• Watch what's happening in the meeting.
• Save and organize meeting information.
• Do specific tasks when asked.
• Work together with other apps you use.

Often, Zoom bots are used to transcribe audio, take meeting notes, and summarize the discussion. Developers usually need to configure and build these bots using an API (Application Programming Interface). An API is a set of rules and tools that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. In the context of Zoom bots, the API allows developers to access Zoom's features and functionalities programmatically, enabling them to create custom automated solutions like Zoom bots.

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Zoom Bot vs Zoom Chatbot

Zoom bots and Zoom chatbots, while two completely different things, are often used interchangeably. Essentially, the Zoom bot joins a meeting to accomplish a specific task. On the other hand, Zoom chatbot is what other people call Zoom’s product, Zoom Virtual Agent.

Here’s a quick breakdown of their differences:

While Zoom bots can customize a wide range of meeting-related tasks, Zoom chatbots specifically focus on conversational interactions and customer support. Both tools can be valuable depending on your specific needs, but they serve different purposes in the Zoom ecosystem.

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Do You Need a Zoom Bot?

You might be wondering if you still need a Zoom bot, if there are many AI tools nowadays. Plus, Zoom also has its own AI companion.

It really boils down to what you personally need or what your organization requires for specific Zoom meetings.

When You Don't Need a Zoom Bot

You likely don't need a Zoom bot if you're using Zoom for simple, straightforward meetings where standard features are enough. Here are some cases where a Zoom bot might be unnecessary:

• When you only need basic meeting functionalities like screen sharing, chat, and recording.
• If Zoom's built-in AI features already cover your needs for transcription and summaries.
• For casual or small-team meetings where manual note-taking is manageable
• If third-party AI note-taking tools like Tactiq are already enough to transcribe, summarize, and integrate with other tools.

For example, I’m a marketing manager who often has content calls. I don’t really need a Zoom bot because I use Tactiq to transcribe my meetings. Plus, I use its AI summary to get the action items and integrate them with my Notion database. We’ll talk more about this later. Or you can skip ahead to learn how to use Tactiq.

When a Zoom Bot is Needed

Here are scenarios where using a Zoom bot would be necessary:

• When existing AI tools and features don't fully address your specific requirements, and you need a custom solution tailored to your unique workflow.
• If your organization has specific security protocols or compliance requirements that aren't met by general-purpose AI tools.
• When you need deeper integration capabilities with internal systems that aren't supported by standard tools.

In essence, while Zoom bots offer powerful customization possibilities, they're primarily beneficial for organizations with specific technical requirements or unique workflow needs that can't be met by existing tools and features.

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Zoom Bot Limitations and Regulations

If you’re not building a Zoom bot, you don’t have to consider all the rules and regulations around Zoom bots. However, it depends on your role and use case.

If you're a developer looking to build Zoom bots, you'll need:

• A Zoom Developer Account and API credentials to access Zoom's development platform.
• Knowledge of Zoom's API documentation and SDK (Software Development Kit) to integrate bot functionality.
• Understanding of Zoom's security requirements and compliance guidelines to ensure your bot meets platform standards.

If you’re a user planning to use Zoom Bots, note that not all organizations allow the use of Zoom bots due to security and privacy concerns. Before implementing any Zoom bot solutions, you should:

• Check your organization's policies regarding third-party tools and automated meeting participants.
• Review your company's security guidelines about recording and storing meeting data.
• Consult with IT department or relevant stakeholders about compliance requirements.

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Zoom Bots: Popular Use Cases

Zoom bots can be used in various creative ways to enhance meeting productivity and efficiency. Here are some of the most common applications that organizations and individuals use Zoom bots for:

Automatic Transcription

Automating Zoom transcriptions is by far the most popular use case because most people need the transcription. Transcriptions are used in many ways, including highlighting the most important insights and action items from the call. This is especially important to remote professionals who have 2-4 calls per day. The more calls you have, the more data you have to sort through. Real-time transcription with the ability to see the full transcript after the call is a real time saver.

Meeting Reminders and Scheduling

Meeting reminder and scheduling bots help automate the administrative aspects of Zoom meetings. These bots can send automated reminders to participants before meetings, track attendance, and even help coordinate scheduling across different time zones. Some advanced scheduling bots can also integrate with calendar applications to automatically suggest meeting times based on participants' availability. This use case is usually popular for university and school settings, where dozens of participants are in one call.

Participant Engagement, like Polling

Engagement bots enhance participant interaction during meetings by automatically managing polls, surveys, and Q&A sessions. These bots can create and launch polls at predetermined times, collect responses in real-time, and even generate instant analytics of the results. Some advanced engagement bots can track participation levels and suggest increasing audience involvement.

Integration with Other Apps

Integration bots help connect Zoom meetings with other essential business tools and platforms. These bots can automatically sync meeting notes to project management software, update CRM systems with attendee information, or push action items to task management tools. For example, after a meeting, the bot can extract action items and send them to Notion, Asana, or Linear.

How to Use Tactiq Instead of Zoom Bots

The good news is that you don't need to build Zoom Bots from scratch. You can just use Tactiq to transcribe meetings and get AI-powered meeting summaries. Tactiq is a Chrome extension that links with Zoom and provides automated transcription, smart note-taking, and meeting analytics without any technical setup.

It's a user-friendly alternative that gives you many benefits of custom Zoom bots while being readily available and easy to use.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Install the Tactiq Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Sign up for a Tactiq account (free plan available).
3. Open your Zoom meeting as usual.
4. Start your meeting - Tactiq will automatically begin transcribing.
5. After the meeting, access your transcripts and summaries in your Tactiq dashboard.
6. Export or share your meeting notes as needed to other platforms.

With Tactiq, you get:

• Real-time transcription of your Zoom meetings.
• AI-powered meeting summaries and action items.
• Easy integration with other productivity tools.
• Secure and private handling of meeting data.
• No need for technical setup or coding knowledge.

I use it for all of my meetings. It’s especially helpful for brainstorming sessions. I want to focus on getting my ideas out instead of taking down notes. We also use it a lot for recruitment workflows.

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Zoom Bots FAQs

Are Zoom Bots allowed by Zoom?

Yes, Zoom officially allows bots to log in through their Marketplace and API platform. However, developers must follow Zoom's guidelines and security requirements. Organizations may have their own policies restricting bot usage.

Do Zoom Bots record video or audio?

Zoom bots can record video and audio if specifically programmed to do so and given proper permissions. However, this capability is subject to meeting host settings, participant consent, and local recording laws. Some organizations restrict recording features for privacy reasons.

Can other participants see that I'm using a Zoom Bot?

It depends on how the bot is implemented. Some bots appear as meeting participants with names like "Bot" or "Assistant," while others work invisibly in the background. Meeting hosts should inform participants if any bots are used to maintain transparency.

Are Zoom bots safe and secure to use?

Zoom bots can be secure when properly implemented with encryption, authentication, and compliance with security protocols. However, their safety depends on the developer's security practices, the organization's policies, and how they test the bots. Always verify a bot's security features before use.

Do I need coding skills to set up a Zoom bot?

Traditionally, creating Zoom bots requires coding skills and developer expertise. However, tools like Tactiq offer similar functionality without any coding requirements. This makes it accessible for regular users who need meeting transcription and automation features.

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The Verdict on Zoom Bots

Zoom bots represent a powerful tool for automating and enhancing virtual meetings, but they're not always necessary for everyone. While custom Zoom bots offer extensive customization and integration possibilities, many users can achieve their goals using existing solutions like Tactiq or Zoom's built-in features.

The decision to use a Zoom bot should be based on your specific needs, technical requirements, and organizational policies. For most users, third-party tools provide an excellent balance of functionality and ease of use. However, for organizations with unique requirements or specific compliance needs, custom Zoom bots remain a valuable option.

Whether you implement a custom Zoom bot or opt for existing solutions, the key is to select tools that enhance your meeting productivity while maintaining security and compliance with your organization's policies.